Effectiveness of nocturnal ventilative passive cooling strategy in the maritime desert climate of the Arabian Gulf region

This paper presents results of the first set of experiments carried out to investigate the potential of nocturnal ventilative cooling techniques in detached residential buildings in the Arabian Gulf region. This experiment is part of a wider research programme in the field of passive solar cooling strategies at the King Faisal University, sponsored by the “Joint United States-Saudi Arabian Program for Cooperation in the field of Solar Energy” (SOLERAS). The experiments were structured to identify the comfort enhancement potential of direct and induced nocturnal convective cooling techniques through the use of controlled ventilation during predetermined periods of favourable ambient conditions. Horizontally placed, vertically hung openings were designed in accordance with the results of the analysis of weather data and located in the North and South walls of the optimum orientation of the full-scale prototype test house. Conventional concrete block, load bearing construction with external insulation and heavy internal thermal mass were used. Fanger Predicted Mean Vote, as a function of dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature air velocity, and mean radiant temperature, were calculated and recorded continuously every 3 min of the duration of the experiment. These values have been averaged to evaluate hourly comfort conditions in various zones of the test house. These were compared with the ambient weather conditions during the period of the experiment to evaluate the potential of this passive cooling technique in conserving a very substantial part of the energy wasted in mechanical cooling.